Archpastoral Message of His Grace Pascha 2026

To the Clergy, Monastics, and the Faithful of the Diocese of the West, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters in Christ:

Christ is Risen!   Indeed He is Risen!

“Let us go with lamps in hand to meet Christ who comes from the tomb like a Bridegroom! And with the festive ranks of angels let us celebrate the saving Pascha of God!” (Paschal canon of St John of Damascus, ode 5).

Today, on the sacred day of Pascha, we gather as the Church, as the disciples of Christ, to proclaim with joy the good news of our salvation: “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20). Today, we celebrate the saving Pascha of God, our Passover, our passage from death to life, from our enslavement to sin and corruption to the freedom of the new life in Christ, crucified and risen.   Today, the mystery of our salvation is revealed to us through the blood of the Paschal Lamb, shed upon the cross.

Our father Gregory the Theologian boldly speaks: “We needed a God made flesh and made dead, so that we might live” (Or. 45.28): out of his love for us, the Master and Lord of all willingly emptied himself, suffered and died for us, and thus as our…